ARLINGTON, VA – Transportation Security Administration agents discovered a 9 mm firearm with one cartridge in the barrel in the carry-on luggage of a Silver Spring, Maryland, woman at a checkpoint at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday.

“It is disturbing to see travelers continue to bring their firearms to our checkpoints instead of properly packing them for the flight,” said John Busch, TSA’s federal airport security director.

Washington Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police seized the weapon and issued a summons to the woman, who now faces a possible $15,000 fine.

“A loaded, unsecured firearm with an unsuspecting owner is simply a tragedy waiting to happen,” Busch said. “Almost every traveler we encounter with a firearm says, ‘I forgot it was there.’ That’s very troubling. If you plan to travel with your firearm, all we ask is that you pack it properly. It’s a pretty simple process. First, it must be unloaded. Pack the unloaded gun in a lockable hard case. Take the case to the airline check-in counter and explain that you plan to fly with it. The airline will arrange for the gun to be transported to your destination in the belly of the plane so no one has access to it during the flight. It’s really that simple.”

People are permitted to travel with handguns, but they must be properly stowed in checked baggage and declared at check-in. In addition, handguns must be stowed unloaded in a locked case, with ammunition stored separately. The locked case must be brought to the airline check-in counter, where it will be checked with the traveler’s baggage. The TSA provides additional information online for people traveling with firearms.

Including the handgun confiscated Thursday, TSA officers discovered a total of 26 firearms at Washington National in 2024. In 2023, 39 firearms were confiscated at the airport, 10 more than the previous year.